"Jean only likes plain yogurt."
Translation:Jean n'aime que les yaourts nature.
14 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
From all the resources about French language: it should stay "nature", even in plural.
From all the official websites of companies selling yogurt: "yaourts natures".
As a French man, I would probably have kept it "nature". Because it doesn't really sound like an adjective (the adjectives are "naturel(s)" and "naturelle(s)", but hey "yaourts naturels" doesn't work), but more like an expression coming from "yaourt au goût nature" or something. The same way "yaourts à la fraise" can sometimes become "yaourts fraise". I'm pretty sure there is a name for this figure of style (use of a noun as an invariable adjective) but it's not something you can do whenever you want, it's more in fixed expressions.
1134
Thank you! It's always very helpful to have native speakers answer (yay for the mods and all who help!!). It doesn't matter what the technical terms are, just knowing if something is always said in a particular way, or isn't for that matter, is very useful! It gives us confidence to use the word/phrase ourselves.
- 2082
{cooking} Nature = Plain = Unseasoned. - {use} "Nature" is in this sense invariable in number.
Bœuf nature = Plain beef : Bœuf simplement bouilli
Riz nature = Plain rice : Riz sans sauce
Steak nature = Plain Steak: Unseasoned steak
Yoghurt nature = Plain yoghurt
- 765
Just read the thread that you have responded to you and it tells you. In particular the explanation by "NieNieNieNie" and "MichelLemoine123". Also further explanation by NieNieNieNie at the bottom of this discussion. :-) "
- 1295
According to the "Dictionnaire de Français Larousse" nature is an "adjectif invariable".
- 765
"Natural yogurt" is what you will typically find printed on tubs of plain yogurt in the UK, although it probably doesn't owe much to nature!